Easy Handling and Wear Baby Towel

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a rectangular shaped towel which caregivers can wear by placing their arms through the arm openings located on the front side of the rectangle, providing a “hands-free” experience for one adult to independently lift a baby, child, or other individual needing assistance out of the bath with two arms; bring the child to their chest and immediately into the towel; and wrap and dry them in one uninterrupted motion. The present invention turns into a wearable article for children with fasteners located on both ends, and a hood which covers the top and back of the child&#39;s head. The present invention keeps both the caregiver and child dry, keeps the child warm and fully covered, effectively aides in thee caregiver&#39;s independent and safe transfer of the child out of the bath tub using both arms, provides easy access for after-bath activities like diapering, and turns into a wearable article. The present invention may also be used after any water activity such as swimming.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to the earlier filed provisionalapplication having Ser. No. 62/845,242 filed May 8, 2019, and herebyincorporates subject matter of the provisional application in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a wearable article in the form of ahooded, wearable, “hands-free” towel for children, babies, and otherindividuals needing assistance, which is useful to both the caregiverand child after bathing, or after other water activities such asswimming.

Background

For caregivers bathing a child and other individuals needing assistance,bathing and after-bath activities can be a challenge. The caregiverusually gets soaked while picking up the slippery, wet child while; atthe same time, needs to open the towel, hold the towel, cover and wrapthe child in the towel, and safely remove the child from the bath tub orbathing location while keeping the child warm and dry. It isparticularly difficult to maintain a sturdy grip on a wet child andtransfer the child out of the bath tub, particularly when also needingto keep the child safe and warm, keep the caregiver and child dry, andhold a towel. This is nearly impossible to accomplish with standardtowels or baby towels, especially with one caregiver.

Oftentimes two caregivers bathe one child together so that one caregivercan pick up the child while the other caregiver holds and opens thetowel while positioning the towel for the second caregiver. The secondcaregiver then picks up the child from the bath tub and the firstcaregiver wraps the child in the towel. It is too difficult for onecaregiver to do these steps to pick up and dry off a child after batheffectively and safely at the same time while also staying dry.Caregivers may resort to unsafe or undesirable practices in order to drythe child after bath, including getting soaked, handling a slippery andwet baby while also attempting to manage a towel, walking with aslippery baby to another location such as a diaper changing table,placing the towel onto the floor to lay the clean child on, holding thetowel in their mouth while also using their arms to pick up the childfrom the bath tub and into the towel, pick up the child backward andback them into the towel draped across their chest, or other maneuversthat do not allow the caregiver to focus on getting the child out of thebath safely and quickly while keeping both parties dry.

Children need to be wrapped securely in a towel immediately afterbathing to give the caregiver an easy and safe handle on the child whileremoving them from the bath tub, retain the child's body heat sincechildren have a harder time regulating their body temperature, dry thechild, and keep the caregiver dry. It is easier to dry and wrap a childin one article after bath without the need of a second article like arobe, wrap, blanket, or other covering. A need exists for a towel whichassists in effortless, easy, and safe handling of the child by thecaregiver after bath, while allowing the caregiver to use both arms topick up the child, refraining from attaching to the caregiver's body inorder to provide quick release of the towel in the event the child needshelp, providing the quick ability to keep the child warm and dry, keepthe caregiver dry, work in an uninterrupted motion, allow the caregiverto work independently, and double as a wearable article for after bathactivities like changing, diapering, and nursing.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

It is known that adult caregivers use towels to wrap and dry childrenafter a bath, including the use of popular hooded towels. However, theseproducts lack in safely aiding the caregiver in picking up the wet childfrom the bath independently, keeping the caregiver dry, and serving aswearable articles after bath such as a robe, wrap, blanket, or othercovering. While products exist to help the caregiver remove the childfrom the bath with the product itself, or in a way that allows them touse their hands while doing so, these products typically require thecaregiver to be constrained by attaching the towel around their neck orbody, they lack the ability for quick release in the event the childneeds help, they are cumbersome to use during a time when safety andefficiency are paramount, they take time to set up during an activitywhere every second counts, and they lack the correct design to beutilized by the child as an instant functional, wearable article afterbath.

The following is a list of U.S. patents that may be relevant to thepatentability of the herein claimed invention:

U.S. Pat. No. 8,276,212 B2 to Quintanilla discloses an apron towel wrapfor children which is cumbersome to use, requires the caregiver berestrained with the towel fastened around their neck and waist, andrequires many steps to fully enclose the child in a wearable form of thetowel, all of which is a difficult with an impatient, squirmy, wet, coldchild when the caregiver is focused on safety.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,829 B1 to Turkheimer discloses a rectangular portionof a child's towel, along with a separate strap and separate hat. Therectangle lacks arm holes. Using all pieces together entails aninconvenient process in preparing for and towel drying the child.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,986,163 B2 to Dugan discloses a slit on one end throughwhich the other end of the towel is threaded. The design may providedifficult to unthread and release and transfer the towel onto the childonce the caregiver is holding the child. The child cannot wear the towelin the bath. It is challenging for the child to wear this towel as awearable article, and it lacks a hood.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,410 to Bassler discloses a hood located in themiddle of one of the towel's edges. This design does not aide in thecaregiver removing the child from the bath, nor can the child wear thetowel in the bath tub. The towel does not transform into a functional,wearable article.

U.S. Pat. No. 10,368,589 to Read discloses a swaddling towel whichrestricts mobility by requiring the caregiver to fasten the towel aroundtheir neck. The towel extends long toward the floor which may inhibitthe caregiver while standing or kneeling next to the bath tub. The toweldoes not allow the child to freely move their legs in the wearableembodiment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention allows the caregiver to place two arms through thetowel arm holes and use the towel “hands-free” and independently pick upthe child with two arms as they normally would, easily remove the childfrom the bath tub in an uninterrupted motion, bring the child to theirchest and into the towel, quickly wrap the other end of the towel aroundthe child immediately at the bathing location while holding child withone arm, place hood on child's head, dry the child, fasten close thetowel around the child to form a wearable towel, provide for safehandling of the child, and keep all parties dry and the child warm. Thepresent invention easily transforms and transfers from a towel used bythe adult caregiver in picking up the child from the bath and drying thechild to a wearable towel for the child. Together, these steps areeasily accomplished in seconds.

The present invention allows the caregiver to easily place the productonto the child by inserting the child's arms through towel arm holeswhile the child is in the bath, and to assist in the child's easytransfer out of the bathing location in an uninterrupted motion.

The present invention allows the caregiver to use the towel in a“hand-free” manner in order to independently pick up the child with twoarms and dry the child with the towel, all without the need of a secondcaregiver.

The present invention may enclose the child in the towel, turning into awearable towel, by placing the child's arms through the arm holes,wearing the hood, and fastening close the towel to keep the child dryand warm during after bath activities like diapering, nursing, andreading.

The present invention allows the caregiver easy access for diaperchanging, sponge bathing, and clothing the child.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is made from a doubleloop terry cloth containing organic cotton and bamboo, and an elementwhich allows the fabric stretch to accommodate the different sizes ofadult arm widths through the arm hole openings, while simultaneouslyaccommodating children's arm widths.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For the purpose of illustrating the present invention, the drawings showaspects of the invention, but it should be understood that the presentinvention is not limited to the exact arrangements shown in thedrawings.

FIG. 1 is a view of the towel opened as a rectangle with arm openings, ahood, and fasteners;

FIG. 2 is a view of the towel closed into a square shape;

FIG. 3 illustrates the caregiver with their arms through the towel's armopenings in a “hands-free” manner while draping the back end over theirarm;

FIG. 4 illustrates the caregiver wearing the towel through the armopenings while picking up a child from the bath with two arms;

FIG. 5 illustrates a child wearing the front end of the towel while inthe bath;

FIG. 6 illustrates the caregiver lifting the child from the bath intothe towel while holding the child with two hands;

FIG. 7 illustrates the caregiver holding the child with one hand, whileusing their other hand to reach for the hood;

FIG. 8 illustrates the caregiver holding the child with one arm whileusing the other arm to place the hood on the child and drape the backend of the towel around child's back;

FIG. 9 illustrates the caregiver holding the child with one arm whilefastening close the towel;

FIG. 10 illustrates the child laying or standing in the wearable towel;and

FIG. 11 illustrates the child in the wearable towel with the caregiverpulling up the front end for access during after-bath activities.

In the drawings, the following items are designated as specified:

-   Towel 10-   Arm openings 20-   Fasteners 30-   Back end of towel 40-   Hood 50-   Front end of towel 60-   Top edge 70

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The main embodiment of the towel 10 in FIG. 1 (opened view) and FIG. 2(closed view) is preferred to be used after the bath or other wateractivities as a “hands-free” towel for the caregiver, and as a wearabletowel 10 for the child or other individual needing assistance. The term“towel” 10 generally referenced is not limited in a usual sense such asan absorbent article used for drying or wearing, but may also includeits use as a blanket, wrap, or other wearable article. The presentinvention in FIG. 1 is shaped in a rectangle with two arm hole openings20 on the front end 60 of the rectangle's half, with a hood 50 on theback end 40 of the rectangle's half and fasteners 30 on both ends of therectangle. The present invention 10 may be made in multiple sizes toaccommodate caregivers, infants, toddlers, children, or otherindividuals needing assistance. The present invention 10 has at leastone fastener 30 which is affixed along the top edge 70 of the towel onboth ends 40 60, and placement along the top edge 70 may vary. Thepresent invention's 10 hood 50 is intended to cover the top and back ofthe child's head. The present invention 10 may have designs, patterns,embroidery, features, and decorative items added to it or its hood 50,such as animal ears as seen in the drawings. The present invention 10 iscut from fabric into a rectangle shape as seen in FIG. 1, with edgessewn and has arm hole openings 20 cut with edges sewn, a hood 50 cutfrom fabric and sewn and then affixed onto the top edge 70 of thetowel's back end 40, and fasteners 30 affixed onto each opposite end ofthe rectangle 40 60.

The present invention 10 has multiple uses. In a first step (see FIG.3), the caregiver simply places their arms through the towel's 10 armhole openings 20, placing the towel 10 toward his or her body, whiledraping the back end 40 of towel over their arm, rendering the towel 10as “hands-free” while finishing bath time with a child.

In a second step (see FIG. 4), the caregiver wears the towel 10 throughthe arm openings 20 with the back end 40 draped over their arm whilepicking up the child from the bath with two hands. In an alternativesecond step (see FIG. 5), the caregiver first places the child's armsthrough the arm openings 20 and places the towel 10 onto child while thechild is in the bath, draping the back end 40 over the edge of the bathtub or held over or under their arm. The child wears the towel 10covering his or her front body.

In a third step (see FIG. 6), the caregiver has their arms through thearm openings 20 and easily lifts the wet child from the bath with twohands as they normally would and safely brings the child against theirchest immediately facing into the towel 10. While alternating holdingthe child with one arm, the caregiver slides out their arms one at atime from the arm openings 20 and may either leave child's arms insideof the towel 10 or place child's arms through arm openings 20. If usingthe alternative step two, the child's arms will already be through thearm holes 20.

Then the caregiver (see FIG. 7) holds the child with one arm while usingtheir other hand to reach for the hood 50 in a forth step.

In a fifth step (see FIG. 8), the caregiver holds the child with one armwhile using the other arm to place the hood 50 onto the child's head andwrap the back end 40 of the towel 10 around child to fully enclose childinto the towel 10 and to dry the child and keep him or her warm.

Next, the caregiver may take an optional step (see FIG. 9) while holdingthe child with one arm to close the towel 10 with the fasteners 30,turning it into a wearable towel 10.

Infants to older children may use and wear the towel 10 by laying orstanding in it (see FIG. 10) as a wearable towel 10 fastened closed 30,wearing the hood 50, and extending their arms through the arm holeopenings 20. The towel 10 can be worn for after bath activities likenursing, reading, or other hygiene tasks.

The towel 10 may also be used without wearing the hood 50 and withoutfastening 30 the two ends together.

The towel provides easy access (see FIG. 11) to the caregiver by pullingup the front end 60 for use of the towel 10 in quick drying of child'sbody, changing of clothes or diaper, application of lotions, and otherafter-bath activities.

It is important to note that while all of these steps are illustratedseparately, together they are easily accomplished in seconds. Once thetowel 10 is placed onto the caregiver's arms (see FIG. 3) or child'sarms (see FIG. 5) through the arm hole openings 20, all steps arecompleted in an uninterrupted motion. This fosters a smoother bathexperience, enabling the caregiver to act quickly, confidently, andindependently, using both arms to pick up a wet child while providing amore safe and secure way to warm and dry the child after bath.

1. A wearable article comprising: a towel; said towel in a rectangularshape made from fabric which may have an element of stretch; said towelhaving arm hole openings on one side of rectangle's half when foldinginto two squares (front end) which may accommodate arm widths of bothadult caregiver and child while providing the ability to wear the towel“hands-free”; said towel may have a hood sewn onto the top of one sideof the rectangle's half when folding into two squares (back end), beingthe opposite side of said arm hole openings, to cover child's top andback of head; said towel having at least one fastener located onopposing ends of rectangle which bring both ends of rectangle together;and said towel turning into a wearable towel.